REDD+ : Therapeutic measure to rescue mother earth

BY LEULSEGED WORKU

Whoever respects and loves nature she doesn't deprive her love and respect. Likewise, whoever is against her mother nature is harsh. If you treat her well, the reward is always positive. However, if you treat her harshly, she won't hesitate to retaliate. This can simply witness by seeing the existing global climate change.

It was our recent experience to see mother earth covered with forests and decorated with her beautiful wild life. However, through time because of human intervention mother earth has lost her beauty. The expansion of industries in developed nations together with the need for construction materials and fire wood in developing nations has caused climate change and threatened mother earth.

Emission from deforestation and degradation accounts for 17 percent of the global GHG volume, nonetheless deforestation is the second most important human induce source of CO2 to the atmosphere after fossil fuel combustion.

It is known that 45 percent of earth's terrestrial carbon is stored in forests. Sources indicated that in 2005 forests covered 4 billion ha of earth's surface. This is approximately equal to 30 percent of earth's surface. Out of which Africa covers 635 million and accounted for around 16 percent of world's forest.

What it really is climate change? According to United nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) climate change is a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere.

Climate change caused by human induce emission of greenhouse gases is now recognized as one of the major threats of human welfare and the path towards development is crippled by such human unwise treatment of mother earth.

The Intergovernmental Panel in Global Average Temperature and Changes in Precipitation pattern since the mid 20^th century is very likely due to observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. However, institute of the fact that Africa contributes very little to the global green house gas emissions, the continent has been predicted to be the worst affected by climate change.

Various approaches are therefore being explored to mitigate and adapt the adverse effects of climate change. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) has emerged as one of the most advanced concepts in international climate change mitigation efforts.

Since the end of 2005, significant REDD+ progress has been evident within and outside of the UNFCC process. At the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP)talks on reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries began with the proposal on the issue in relation to addressing climate change particularly in the light of the large contribution of deforestation activities in developing countries to global greenhouse gas emissions. A major decision to stimulate action on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries was adopted by COP in Bail in 2008.

Based on this principle REDD+ would provide countries with incentives to reduce carbon emissions from forest. The major climate change mitigation strategies under REDD+ includes Enhancement of carbon stocks, sustainable forest management, avoiding degradation and deforestation and conservation of carbon stock.

In Ethiopia, forestry has strategic importance on other sectors of the economy. This is particularly true for agriculture, energy and tourism. However, deforestation and degradation are posing a serious treat.

Ethiopia had been in the REDD + process since 2008 and is now a REDD+ participant country to the Forest Carbon partnership Facility (FCPF) of the World Bank.

According to Ministry of Environment and Forest Ethiopian REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Secretariat report degradation and deforestation have a serious impact on surface and ground resource of Ethiopia.

REDD+ Reediness Preparation Proposal of Ethiopia indicated that the forest sector in Ethiopia is responsible for the emission of 65 million tones of Carbon Dioxide.

As part of tackling this challenge, Farm Africa together with SOS Sahel and Oromia Forest and Wild Life Enterprise have introduced REDD+ Project in Bale Mountains Eco regions.

The Bale REDD + is a pioneer initiative in Ethiopia with the aim of ensuring sustainable financing mechanism for Ethiopia, Oromia Forest and Wild life Enterprise and the community as whole.

Discussing with stake holders about Project last Wednesday at Shashemene, Project coordinator Lulu Likassa said, sustainable forest management could be ensure with active involvement of the community.

According to him, the community are the owners of the forest and the resources that generate from it. “Thus,through creating awareness and Participatory Forest Management model economic, social and ecological benefits can be sustain.”

formerly, it was believed that the government is the sole responsible organ to protect the forest. However, it is witnessed that without active involvement of the community sustainable results can not be achieved, he said.

Lulu said that the Bale Mountains Eco-region REDD+ project (BMERP) is therefore a pioneer initiative in Ethiopia to experience REDD + implementation.

According to him, if properly managed and save at least 65 percent of the forest from deforestation and retain emission of carbon in to the environment within the coming 20 years, the country would earn six million dollar every year.

On his part, Oromia Forest and Wild Life Enterprise Arsi Branch Manager Keder Nino said that OFWLE together with Farm Africa and SOS Sahel is implementing Sustainable Livelihood and Forest Management Projects and the Bale Mountains Eco-Region REDD + Projects.

According to him Participatory Forest Management has a key role for sustainable forest management.

He also said that the projects which are being implementing in the Bale mountain are showing progress for the community has came to understand the benefits from sustainable forest management.

Presenting his paper to participants Ministry of Environment and Forest National Coordinator, REDD + Secretariat Dr,Yitebitu Moges said that Ethiopia has climate change mitigation potential. According to him, the total forest carbon stock in Ethiopia is estimated 2.1 CO2e and 90 percent of Ethiopian highlands form sustainable place for forest development.

The Bale Mountains Eco region REDD + Project covers an area of 500,000 ha. Of high forest which represents one of the two main tropical forest blocks remaining in Ethiopia. The project Development is funded by the Royal Embassy of Norway, Irosh Aid and the Royal Embassy of Netherlands.

REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation), is a climate change mitigation strategy introduced by the United Nations to help stop destruction of the world's forests. Wildlife Works' REDD+ projects protect threatened forests, wildlife, and uplift rural communities.

Forests are both sources and sinks of carbon. They are sources when they release carbon stored in their biomass to the atmospheres through deforestation and degradation. And they sink carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it as biomass as they grew.
Globally, forests are net sinks, thus, they absorb more carbon out of the atmosphere than they emit. However, of the 2.6 billion tones of carbon that forests annually absorb, 60 percent is emitted back to the atmosphere through deforestation.

In addition to regulating climate change, forests provide a number of important services such as regulation of water flow, reduction of run off, erosion, silitation, flooding, and provide direct like food. Medicine, and fuel wood. These are collectively called Ecosystem goods and services of forest. In this regard, the already started activities of Farm Africa, SoS Sahel, Oromia Forest and Wild Life Enterprise and other stakeholders is very encouraging.